The Great Age Debate

"There’s no good age to handle the military lifestyle. Whether you are the person in the military, or the one waiting back home, there’s no right or wrongs in love. Since most of the things I’ve been seeing have been about relationships, I’ll direct this to the s/o’s. You do what you do because of love. If he/she wasn’t worth waiting for you wouldn’t do it. ...There is no good/bad, right/wrong, ideal/not ideal age to handle the military lifestyle. We do it because we want to. Because we support our S/O and the lifestyle that they chose. If you choose to be with someone who is in the military, no matter how old you are, (and as long as you’re mature about it) MORE POWER TO YA!"
-http://itsjennaa.tumblr.com/
I witnessed some tumblr drama on the military support blog I follow today when age was brought up. People went nuts. Everyone started arguing. It's kind of a sticky subject, but something I think a lot of young military girlfriends/boyfriends go through. People think I'm too young to get married, too.
I've said this before but I never thought I'd be in this situation. I dated the same person through most of high school (most of the people who read this blog regularly know who I'm talking about) and he once asked me what I would do if he joined the military. I flat out said I'd leave him. I didn't mean it to be a threat, I just knew that's what would happen. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I wasn't ready for it. And high school was crazy enough without it. The chances were that I'd get tired of it and meet someone else. I knew that. It was just one of the many reasons why I said I'd never date someone in the military.
But we promise ourselves a lot of things, and we break those promises because we change, and life happens. I met the right person. I am so sure of that and if I doubted it at all I wouldn't be afraid to say so. I'm famous for my blunt opinions and honesty (if not the occasional rudeness). I would never go through something I didn't believe in. I was so stubborn about the fact that this would never happen to me; if my feelings for someone were strong enough to melt this stubbornness, I was gonna do it, and I wasn't going to half-ass it. 
I know a few years ago I wouldn't have been mature enough for this. I know that for a fact. That was me, personally, but it's hard not to look down on people younger than me and think that they're not ready, either. However, age is not just a number. It is experience and maturity through time, and not a specific amount of time. Some twenty year olds still act very immature. Some seventeen year olds have seen and done things I could never get through. It's all relative.
What started this big debate was people inferred that this girl running the blog said that sixteen year olds were too young to be in a military relationship (which she didn't specifically say) and so several young girls got all offended and thus began the flood of opinions. However, if you look at things from a legal perspective, sixteen year olds having a relationship (long distance or not) with an eighteen year old (since that's old you have to be to join, unless a parent says otherwise) isn't technically allowed in the first place. And they're still going through literal, physical and mental changes as well. I'm certainly not the same person I was when I was sixteen. So it's hard to imagine someone that age going through the hardships of a long distance military relationship without having to cut it off at some point.
I'm not saying I'm not going to keep changing. But I have solid beliefs and am going on six months long distance in an over two year relationship with no change of heart. I fear the dreaded "D" word very much, but I am confident enough in my relationship that we'll be able to work it out. I don't believe in prenuptial agreements because you shouldn't have to sign a paper that says you won't screw each other over, it should just be understood. I understand that a relationship needs faith and trust and respect (and a shared sense of humor) and without those things you have very very little. I feel like I have everything to gain, I feel ready. And yes, I may look down on girls/couples that don't have these things, but maybe they know something I don't.
So you can't judge a relationship based on age, necessarily, because there isn't always time to stop and justify and listen. Some people aren't even interested. I say to that, move on. It doesn't matter. It's not your life. There's always going to be someone who doubts your relationship, whether you're sixteen, twenty two, or thirty five. It's hard not to stand up and shout about it (I basically already did that in my own way) but if you do, say what you need to say and be done. Breathe. This is part of the challenge of being in a military long distance relationship, and the best way to prove everyone wrong is to make it. Just don't do it purely out of spite, obviously.
If you know what you're doing it doesn't matter how old you are. Just do it.